心思
xīnsī · HSK 7
thought
💭 心思 = 心 heart/mind + 思 think; the workings of the mind
心 (xīn) is heart-mind and 思 (sī) is to think, so 心思 literally stacks heart plus thinking. The 思 character itself sits on a 心 heart radical, doubling down on the mental-effort sense: your thoughts and inner state.
心 — pictograph of a heart with chambers and aorta
心 is a pictograph showing a stylized heart, with strokes representing the organ's chambers and the aorta at the top. Originally meaning the physical heart, it broadened to cover mind, feelings, and intentions, since ancient Chinese thought located thinking and emotion in the heart.